Date:         Tue, 05 Nov 1996 17:11:29 -0500
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Jeff Diebolt <jdiebolt@up.net>
Subject:      Re: '87 Syncro rear window defrost

>The light on the switch does not come on when the switch is on, either.  
>The fuse is OK.
Pop off the top of the dash. It's real easy to do. Take a test light to the
switch and check that you have power to the switch and from the switch with
the switch on. Remember the key must be on. If that is OK go to the back
door. Put one end of your test light on one of the terminals on the window
and the other end on the other terminal on the window. If it lights up, you
have two possibilities. To test for the first, leave the light on the
terminals and close the door to be sure you don't have a broken wire. If
it's a broken wire try wiggling the wire to determine which one. The second
possibility is there is a scratch across all of the painted on conductors.
You can buy a repair paint at most FLAPS that I know of, follow the
directions on the bottle. If the light doesn't light up, hook the light to
one of the terminals, do the drivers side first and connect the other end
of the test light to a good ground, the rear door stricker pin may work,
the engine is better. If doesn't light do the same test on the other
terminal, I don't remember which side is the power and which is the ground.
If you light up then you have a bad ground. Try wiggling the wire at the
hinge area, they get alot of wear there with opening and closing the door.
Don't hook the mirror wires together, thats a dead short. Good luck.